A study led by the University of Exeter asked parents how often their children engaged in play that was "thrilling and exciting," where they might experience some fear and uncertainty.

The study comes at a time when today's children have fewer opportunities for adventurous play out of sight of adults, such as climbing trees, riding bikes, jumping from high surfaces or playing somewhere where they are out of adult sight. The study sought to test theories that adventurous play offers learning opportunities that help build resilience in children, thereby helping to prevent mental health problems.

With funding from a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, the research team surveyed nearly 2,500 parents of children aged 5-11 years. Parents completed questions about their child's play, their general mental health (pre-Covid) and their mood during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

The research was carried out with two groups of parents: a group of 427 parents living in Northern Ireland and a nationally representative group of 1919 parents living in Great Britain.

Researchers found that children who spend more time playing outside had fewer "internalizing problems," characterized as anxiety and depression. Those children were also more positive during the first lockdown.